


King Of Manhattan

by Irrelevantrelevancy



Series: King Of Manhattan [1]
Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: A little angst, Blanco is such a dear, Fluff, M/M, Newsies lives rent free in my mind, No Period Typical Homophobia, Shorty is ready to soak 'em, Spot Conlon is Bad at Feelings, Spot is also bad at speaking, because I said so, race has anxiety, this came to me out of nowhere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:42:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25537516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irrelevantrelevancy/pseuds/Irrelevantrelevancy
Summary: He knew this day was coming, it was inevitable. He knew one of these days Jack wouldn’t be there to lead. He knew and he knew and he knew and he still wasn't prepared.
Relationships: Spot Conlon/Racetrack Higgins
Series: King Of Manhattan [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1855795
Comments: 1
Kudos: 51





	King Of Manhattan

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! Newsies has been living rent free in my head for the past month so I needed to write something for my boys!

He knew this day was coming, it was inevitable. He knew one of these days Jack wouldn’t be there to lead, he knew he got far too comfy in his position at Jack’s second, he knew and he knew and he knew. But it still came to him as a shock when Jack pulled him from his gambling and asked if they could take a walk. So here they were, walking, and talking. Well, Jack was talking. Race’s mind was going a mile a minute.  _ My time is up kid, the boys is yours now, make me proud.  _ The sentence was simple enough,straight to the point, it was very  _ Jack _ . But that didn’t stop his stomach from sinking.  _ These boys is mine now _ , it was playing in his brain like a loop. 

“J-Jack I can’t-”He stammered, his heart thumped against his chest.

“Yes you can”Jack said, “You’s my second for a reason Race, these boys need you”

_ These boys need me. _ He felt his heart thumping in his ears, how was his heart in his ears?

“Race”Jack said, or did he even say that? It felt like he was underwater. “Race!”

He tried to speak, but that posed a new issue. He couldn’t breathe, why couldn’t he breathe? Without a second glance he turned and took off. He could hear Jack calling him and maybe he ran too but all Race could focus on was getting the hell out of there. His brain switched off and the only thoughts going were Jack's words. 

_ My time is up kid _

_ The boys is yours now _

_ Make me proud _

_ These boys need you _

He was a coward, god he was a coward. He could never show his face in Manhattan again without getting soaked but he just  _ can’t _ . He knew and he knew and he knew but he didn’t know he was so short on time. He didn’t know the first thing about being a leader, that was all Jack and Davey. He barely knew how to be a second, he just knew that he had a good right hook and was the only one besides Davey who was allowed to get mouthy without getting popped. He knew how to flirt and to sell his papes and to gamble, but what about the little ones? He didn’t have a responsible bone in his body! What if someone got sick on his watch? What if one of his boys got soaked? Good god what if one of them  _ died? _ No he couldn’t, not again, he’d take a swim with weighted shoes before that happened--He was cut short by his face meeting a brick wall and a weight against his back.

“Oh Spot’s gonna ‘ave a lotta fun with this one”

Spot? He was in _ Brooklyn? _

“Should we soak ‘im?”

“Nah, let's wait for what boss’ gotta say”

“But I wanna soak ‘im!”

“Keep it togetha shorty, you know how boss feels ‘bout soakin’ random people"

“But I-”

“It’s bout past your bedtime anyways, you wan’ me to tell ‘im bout that too?” Race could almost feel the shift in their tone. Reminded him of when he got into his ma’s bag of sugar as a kid, oh this little brat was in for a scolding. He heard a huff from shorty--if that was even their name--and a chuckle from the older person. Shame flooded him, it was getting late. He should be with his littles tucking them into bed, not runnin like a coward. He was spun around quickly and met with wide eyes. He had half a mind to brace himself for a soakin but all they did was stare.

“You’s Spot’s boy, yeah?”They said. His face flushed and he nodded hesitantly. Sure they were closer than your average pals but being labeled as Spot’s boy made his stomach flip. The boy laughed and dusted off Race’s chest, still a little hard because the blonde had to bite back a wince.

“You see”He said facing towards the little girl, “This is why we don’ soak random people. Boy Spot woulda had my rear for sure” he turned back to Race and tipped off his hat, his hair was black but a white tuft stuck out towards the front. “The names Blanco, this is shorty.”

“A pleasure”Race said carefully. “It was great to meet you but I should be-”

“Nah you’s not goin nowhere”Blanco said, “Spot would really kick my as- _ rear _ if he heard you was in Brooklyn and didn’t stop by. It’s late anyways, you was lucky bumpin into us but not all of us take too kindly to Manhattan boys, Spots or not”

Blanco had a point. If he was going to be the new leader that meant he got to do what he wanted, right? One night out without being on Jack’s radar wouldn’t kill him, it was exciting even. He nodded and gestured for them to lead the way. Blanco smirked and put his cap back on, Shorty’s hand in his.

“Glad we agree”

The walk to their lodging was long, he mustn't have been that far across the bridge. Or maybe his legs were ready to give out because he was exhausted. His heart had finally stopped beating so hard and all he wanted to do was sleep for a few days. Blanco must’ve noticed because he walked slower.

“I’d carry you but littles come first”He shrugged. Shorty had tapped out a while ago and was fast asleep on Blanco’s back. Race nodded and bit back a smile, they were kinda cute.

“She yer sister?”He asked. Blanco let out a loud laugh and shook his head.

“By blood? Nah. this girls’ blonder than them theatre gals with the powdery wigs. By principle? Yeah, all these littles ones is my brothers and sisters. Not sure how you’s all do it in Manhattan but we’s family here in Brooklyn”He said. Race wanted to snap back that they were family in Manhattan, just...not like this. Sure they covered each others asses and made sure everyone who needed to eat did but this...this was different.

“We’s family in Manhattan”He said quietly, “You just look like you’s love her or somethin”

Blanco gave him a strange look, “I do love her, don’t you’s love each other in Manhattan?”

Race cringed and focused his gaze on the ground, he wasn’t sure if he really  _ loved _ anyone. He loved his Ma when she was here, and his Pa and his sister, but that had been a long time ago. You didn’t do things out of love, you did them because they were right. It would be terrible to leave them poor boys starvin or cold. He didn’t realize the boy was waiting for an answer until he cleared his throat.

“I dunno”He said in the same tone. It was silent for a bit as they walked, but he couldn’t help himself. “How do you know you’s love someone?”

“Well”Blanco said, sparing a glance at Shorty. “You’s love someone when you’d do anything for them,when you want to make sure they’s safe and they’s eatin. But there’s different kinds of love too, I don’t love my beau the same way I’s love Shorty”

Race nodded slowly, he could understand that. Blanco continued. “I’d do anything for both of them, in a heartbeat. But my Beau and I hold hands and go see the races, Shorty and I play tag in the park and I’s make sure she does her take home work. It’s different but similar, ya know?”

He nodded again, things needed to change in Manhattan. He wanted what Brooklyn had, his boys deserved it. Sure they were friends but they can be closer than that, they could be family. When he got home he’d tell Jack everything about it. He tried to stifle a yawn but failed miserably.

“We’s almost there kid”Blanco said, it made Race feel warm when he said it.

“How old’re you Blanco?”he slurred. 

“ ‘m almost nineteen kid”He said. Race’s eyes popped out of his skull.

“Lies!”He exclaimed, “Ain’t no one sellin past eighteen, Jack said so!”

“If ya look young, no one can tell”He said with a wink. “Ain’t no one rat me out yet, ima keep sellin until I can afford me a place”

“That’s insanity”Race said in awe.

“It works”He shrugged, “You looks like you fourteen, and i’m hoping you’re not cause then Spot and I would need to have a long talk-”

“Alright keep yer pants on, i’m sixteen!”He snapped. “I don’ look that young”

“Lookin young ain’t bad, it sells”He said.

“Why’re you telling me this?”Race asked.

“Why would I hide it?”He said. He wanted to answer but as the lodging house came into view all his mind could think of was _ Love. Spot. Bed _ . and he was off like a rocket. He heard Blanco laugh but he didn’t care as he rapped his knuckles on the door. He continued doing so until it was thrown open. His chest pounded as the smaller boy looked up at him with murder in his eyes.

“Surprise?”He said weakly.

“You’s gotta lot of explainin to do Racetrack”Spot said, his voice was gravely and his eyes were still partially shut. “And you better not be here alone, or i’m soakin-”

“We’s home”Blanco said, possibly saving Race from the worst scolding of his life.

“You had ‘im?”Spot asked.

“Found ‘im at the bridge, Shorty almost soaked ‘im ‘til we realized he was your boy”

Spot grunted and kicked the back of Blanco’s leg as he walked inside, “He’s not my boy. Go put Shorty to bed and get in one yerself before you’s sleepin on the roof tonight”

“Aye aye boss”He said. He sent a wink Race’s way and carried the sleeping girl up the stairs.

“Spot-”

“What the hell ‘re you doin in Brooklyn?”Spot demanded, “It’s almost midnight. If i wake up to Jack’s ugly mug busting down my door ima-”

“Jacks aging out”He said quickly, he balled his fists up to keep them from shaking. “A-and I’s his second so that means…”

“I see”Spot said, his voice deceivingly calm. “So he told you and you ran.”

“Yeah”He breathed, Spot always made things easier to say.

“That was a bad move Higgins”Spot said clicking his teeth, “you know how he gets when one of his boys is missing”

“I...I..”He felt that familiar tightness in his throat but this time his eyes burned in tandem. His knees buckled underneath him and soon he was looking up at Spot through blurry eyes. He felt  _ horrible _ .

“Race…”Spot sighed.

“He’s gonna soak me good when i get back”He sniffled, “He’s gonna soak me a-and realize what a shitty second I am and how much of a coward I am and that I can’t even take care of  _ myself _ and how am i gonna keep these boys  _ alive _ !-”

“Racetrack”Spot snapped. Race looked up at him and felt like crying harder.

“And now i’m just here cryin like a loser”He said. Spot pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Get up”Spot said.

“But-”   
“Race get up or i’m carryin you. You want me to carry you?”Spot asked. It was supposed to be a threat but Race couldn’t help but nod, he was so tired.

“You’s gonna be the death of me”Spot mumbled. With a surprising amount of ease he was hoisted over Spot’s shoulders and carried up the stairs. They passed the two dorm rooms and Race made a noise of confusion.

“You’ll see”Spot hummed. They went up a shorter flight of stairs and stopped before a room Race had never seen before. Spot twisted the knob and walked inside locking it. It even had a lock, fancy. Race felt his back hit a springy bed and the world was suddenly upside down as his legs folded towards his chest.

“Did you just  _ throw _ me?”He chuckled.

“Yes I did”Spot said matter of factly. “Now tell me who I’s gotta soak”

“What?”He asked, tilting his head. Spot let out a sigh of annoyance.

“Who’s been callin you all that shit”Spot said impatiently, “let me know so I can soak ‘em”

“No one!”he said quickly, “but Spotty, no one’s gotta say it for it to be true”

“Racetrack Higgins you are so fucking dense”Spot snapped. He muttered an apology but Race was still tense. Spot only spoke all proper like when he was  _ pissed _ .

“I mean you’s probably right, but ‘m not followin”He said slowly. Spot took a seat on the bed and ran a hand over his face.

“It’s just-you-ah!”Spot exclaimed, but he was laughing.

“Makin me nervous Spotty”he said, eying him weirdly.

“You are not a shitty second”Spot said instead. “Jack ain’t gonna soak you and do you realize how  _ good _ you are to those boys?”   


“Um...no”He said carefully. Spot rolled his eyes and shifted his legs so he was facing Race.

“You’s worried about taking over when Kelly leaves, right?”Spot said. He nodded.

“You got nothing to worry about, Race”Spot said. “Them boys  _ adore _ you. You’s gonna lead ‘em just fine”

“No”He said shaking his head, “You don’ get it”

“Then make me get it.”Spot said, a fire blazed beneath his sleepy eyes. “We got all night”

“You need to sleep”He said instead, “You look dead”

“I’ll sleep when I get it”Spot said. “You may be the king of poker but  _ I’m _ the king of arguing”

“And Brooklyn”He said half heartedly.

“And Brooklyn”Spot said with a little grin. “But come on Race, we ain’t never kept secrets”

“Yeah, about what dames we was kissin”He scoffed. Spot raised a brow and gently grabbed his hand.

“You kissin other dames?”   


“You callin yourself a dame?”

“If the shoe fits”Spot shrugged, “Answer the question”

“No I ain’t kissin other dames!”He exclaimed, he was lucky Spot couldn’t see his cheeks redden in the darkness.

“Good”Spot said, and there he went again with that unreadable face. It was going to send Race into an early grave.

“Good?”He echoed.

“Good”Spot said, “But seriously Race, let me know what’s going on”

“Spot-”

“ _ Race _ .”He said and squeezed his hand. 

“Fine”He said. “It’s just…’m not Jack, ya know? I can’t make them boys listen or rile them up like he can, I can’t give ‘em words of wisdom like Davey...It feels like I'm not good for nothin. Like all I do is waste my days away gamblin or sellin or hidin here, feels like all I can do is make ‘em laugh and then once they’s done they forget about me. I ain’t important”

“You’re right”Spot said after a few beats, “You ain’t Jack or Davey” Race felt his heart shatter. “But that don’t mean you ain’t just as good. Jack ain’t always rational, he riles them boys up without a plan, and sometimes Davey talks too much an scares ‘em. They may be good at what they do but it don’t mean they ain’t got faults just like the rest of us.”

“I mean sure”He said, “But what’s that got to do with me? I’m useless”

“Don’t say that”Spot said immediately.

“Wh-”

“Antonio for the love of  _ god _ promise me you will never say that about yourself again”

“I-I promise--Spot what the hell!”his chin was tilted down roughly so him and Spot were eye to eye.

“You are not useless”Spot spat. “If you could see yourself the way I see you you’d have an ego the size of New York! Racer you are one of the best things to happen to those boys, you’re gonna make Manhattan better! You’re way too kind for your own good and you’re smart as hell so never  _ ever _ say you’re useless”

“I don know what to say Spotty”he said quietly.

“I know you’s scared Race”Spot continued. “And being scared is a good thing, if you’s scared to fuck things up then there’s a good chance you won’t. It means you care enough about your boys and you want the best for them, I know you’s gonna do good by them.”

“I don wanna do it alone”He said finally.

“You won’t have to”Spot said, “You already know if you ask Albert to be your second he’d say yes in a heartbeat”

“I know”He said, “Just...just forget I said anything, goodnight”He rolled over on the twin sized bed and faced the wall. His head felt clearer but his heart still felt heavy.

“You got Brooklyn in your corner too,”Spot said suddenly. “We ain’t abandoning you just cause the strike is done”

“Your kids don’t even like Manhattan, give it a rest”He scoffed.

“ _ My _ kids answer to  _ me _ ”Spot said, “And what I say goes. You got Brooklyn, end of discussion”

And there was that famous Racetrack temper rearing its head. “W-well maybe I don’t want all of Brooklyn!”

“We’s one of the biggest boroughs, of course you do!”

“Well maybe I just want you!”He exclaimed. He clamped a hand over his mouth. Maybe he should’ve just gotten soaked and sent home earlier. He waited for Spot to say something, anything. But he was just met with silence.

“Spot I’m sor-”

“No”Spot said shaking his head.

“I should’ve said anything-”

“ _ No _ Racer”Spot said firmly, “Just...just gimme a second, you know I ain’t good with words”

“Okay”he said quietly.

“I um...oh my god”Spot said with a slight chuckle, “You snuck up on me Racetrack”

“ ‘m not following again, am I getting soaked or not?”He said. Spot waved him off. “I ain’t gonna hit you Race”

“Okay great”He sighed, “Then what the  _ hell _ does that mean?”

“You just..I never planned on no one like you.”Spot said, shaking his head, “I had my whole future planned out, marry a dame, work in a factory, have a few kids. Girls are nice I guess, but they ain’t you”

“Do...do you love me?”He said innocently. 

“Hell Race, I don’t know!”Spot exclaimed, “maybe?”

“When Blanco called me your boy you denied it”He said, “I don’t get it Spot”

“I didn’t know if that’s what you wanted”Spot said honestly. “I ain’t gonna force you to be with me”

“I want to”He said, “I wanna be your boy”

“Yeah?”Spot said in a shaky tone.

“Yeah”He said, pulling Spot so his back hit the bed, “We can do what Blanco and his Beau does. We can hold hands and see the races...and kiss and stuff”

“We already kiss and stuff,”Spot said, raising a brow.

“Yeah but now that you’re mine it’ll be better”He said, “I thought I knew what love was before I met you...now it’s...it’s so different”

“Do you love me Racetrack?”Spot said, shifting so his head was against Race’s chest. 

“I think I do”He said softly, “Blanco said you’d do anything for the people you love and Spotty I’d...I just...you make me wanna be better, for myself and for our boys”

“You make me wanna stop bein so damn angry all the time”Spot said, “Seein you just makes me wanna slow down for a bit, take my time”

“I wanna kiss you”He said, running a finger through Spots hair. “Wanna make you feel how much I love you”

“We got plenty of time for that, we gotta get some sleep”

They sat in silence, Race combing through Spots hair as the sound of the city went on below. He was almost sure the smaller boy had fallen asleep before he felt a tap at his chest.

“Race?”

“Mm spotty?”

“I ain’t good with feelings either, but i’m fuckin gone for you.”

“I love you too, Spots. Honest”

\------------

Spot woke before the circulation bell started to ring. The sun had barely made its way into the sky, but he had to get Race back to Manhattan. He just wanted to sit there and take in the sight before him. The boy-his boys, blonde curls were all awry and his lips were parted as he slept soundly. They had a late night, he had half a mind to just let Race sleep it off, but the thought of Jack showing up  _ here _ kicked his ass into motion. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Race’s forehead, and another one to his cheeks. 

“Sweetheart”He whispered, he blushed as the words left his mouth. He never thought of himself as the sappy type, it was weird. He peppered a few more kisses across the boys face before he started to stir. One blue eye peeked open and then another, Race was smiling before he knew what hit him.

“Good morning my angel”He whispered, combing his fingers through Race’s hair. “You ready to be king of Manhattan?”

“ ‘m your angel?”Race said in a sleepy voice.

“Yeah”he said with a grin, “Yeah you are”

“You’re a sap”

“Shut up”He said flicking Race’s skull “get up, we gotta get you back to Manhattan”

“No”Race whined and clung to Spots undershirt, “wanna stay here with you, just got you to myself…”

Spot's chest felt a little funny when he said that and he tried his best to shake it off, “Sweetheart, Jacks gonna worry…”

“Don care”Race mumbled, “Wanna spend today with you, love you…”

He bit back a squeak and quickly rubbed at his eyes. Maybe it was because he was fully awake but fuck did he love the way that sounded coming out of Race’s mouth.

“Oh you’re dangerous”He said under his breath.

“Come lay down”Race said, “We can cuddle-”

“Race”He warned.   


“And kiss-”

“Race, please-”he begged.

“I’ll even do that thing you like when I-”

“Alright alright”he said quickly. “Don’t gotta be evil about it”

“I win”Race said happily and wrapped his body around Spots once again. He let out a content sigh when Spots hand found his hair and scratched at his scalp.

“You’re a housecat”He said.

“I thought I was your angel”Race said with a yawn.

“That too”He said, “Get some more sleep, today’s about you and me”

Race nodded and Spot soon found out he slept like the dead. If he couldn’t feel him breathing he’d assumed Race had straight up died. He continued stroking the blonde’s curls and found himself unable to do anything but stare.

“No I never planned on no one like you”He sighed, “But you’re gonna be the death of me Antonio”

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> if you want to come scream at me on my broadway tumblr it's @sugarbutterbroadway. Also please leave a comment if you enjoyed it!


End file.
